Region’s selectmen to name school finance panel

Selectmen from the five towns in the Wachusett Regional School District voted to appoint members to a revenue sharing task force, but not without reluctance.

Selectmen expressed concern about the proposal by Superintendent of Schools Thomas Pandiscio that towns share 48 percent of their revenue with the school district, as well as the potential increases to the school budget and the lack of increasing revenues for the towns.

“We all have the same problem,” said Paxton Selectman William Trotta. “Why will 10 people find a solution when we can’t?”

The task force will comprise one Wachusett Regional School District Committee member from each town and a representative from each town appointed by the selectmen. The selectmen wanted it clear that the task force was an advisory committee from which members would report back to their respective boards. The region’s selectmen would reconvene to discuss the findings of the committee.

“We might get nowhere, but at least be gave it a chance,” said Holden Selectman Anthony Renzoni.

After more than two hours of discussions, the group decided part of the role of the task force should be to encourage lobbying to change the state funding of education.

Princeton Selectman Stan Moss voted against sending a member to the task force. Moss said if the regional agreement is amended to change the funding of the school district, then the clause that states only the school committee can propose amendments to the agreement must be eliminated.

Before the vote, selectmen from Paxton and Rutland presented concerns about the money in the towns’ budget that was considered revenue and which the school district could potentially share.

“We’re already paying 53 percent of our [available] revenue towards the school assessment,” Rutland Selectman Joseph Becker said. “The fear we have is we’re not sure how much higher we can go.”

The meeting had some tense moments when school committee members in the audience expressed concerns about the facts and figures cited by the different selectmen. Raymond Dennehy, chairman of Princeton selectmen, said the meeting “was like a classroom” and people in the audience had to wait to be recognized.